Wow, Hey everybody, it's Monday, October twenty eight, twenty twenty four. Welcome to the NFL Fantasy Football Show where we need to sit down and catch our breath. It's me your man, NAMG. Marcus Grant, joined by Michael F. Florio and Lakwan Jones. Fellas Week eight pretty much in the books. We still have a Monday night game left to be played between the Giants and the Steelers in Pittsburgh. But Florio, you
were pointing this out before the show. It's one of those rare weeks, but it seems like all three of our teams gotta win. I didn't dig back to see I feel like it has happened at some point this season.
But we can definitely all. You know, we're all on the good side of things this week.
Yay. I guess like I'm hopeful that it's happened already. Maybe did it happen in Week one or something like that. I don't know, but we're all feeling good. Marcus, your baseball team, yeah, yeah, they've been winning and stuff.
So yeah, lots of.
LaQuan your favorite soccer team, fired a guy or something like that.
We're all feeling good, yes, he's been sacked. We're gonna use the terms he's been sacked. Get him out of here, man.
That's what they say when someone gets fired.
He gets saack. Yes, yeah, I.
Don't think you guys have been noticing like for a couple of shows now. I've just been putting like soccer terminology off. There's like bottom of the teak.
Yeah, you kind of caught it. Yeahs over my head.
I definitely you're not. You're not slipping these by me. Sometimes I just choose not to acknowledge it. That's all there is. That's it. I've got a lots to do on the show today, as always have, our biggest takeaways
from what we have seen in Week eight. We will dive into the waiver wire and we'll get to some of our hot takes for the second half, some things that you know, might be a little bit outlandish, but kind of what we're feeling about what we expect to see for the last few weeks of the fantasy regular season.
But now let's get started, as we always do, with some fantasy headline, starting down in Houston, where Stefan Diggs left the Texans game against the Colts with what looks like a knee injury, was running arout non contact, limped off the field. Now, as of us recording this show, we don't have an update on what Diggs's situation is going to be. But I mean Florida, look, I know Nico Collins hopefully is going to be back soon, but
he is still injured right now. Now, Stefan Diggs is out, you know, I mean, Tank Dell had a touchdown, which is great, but where else can we look to get some help in this in this Texas passing game?
Yeah, I know we're waiting for the word on Stefan Diggs, but non contact and they play on a short week on Thursday, so I look speculation on my part, I would plan on being without Steph Diggs this week. And if that is the case, it's Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz, I would say, because remember last season when either Nico Collins or Tank Dell missed time and it was only one of them there, then that's when Dalton Schultz really
stepped up and got utilized more. This season. The difference is it took two injuries to get to that point. Because they had two OUTFA target Hogs Nico Collins. They are hopeful can be back in week ten. I think the Texans, with their record, are going to play the long game here. They're not going to rush back. Especially after seeing the Jets loose to the Patriots. They're probably thinking, we could beat this team without you guys. So yeah, I think it pushes Dell and Schultz into players that
you could get into your starting lineups this week. And obviously Joe Mixon is the other text in there that you can start.
Yeah.
Because Collins was placed on IR you have to miss at least four games. The earliest he can come back is week ten, so they have to get through at least one week. Theoretically, it looks like without Collins and probably without Digs. Again, we're still trying to figure out what the official diagnosis is on it, but as you said, Florida did not look good the way he went down and left the game on Sunday. Meanwhile, Lakwan over in Green Bay, Jordan Love suffered a growing injury he had
to leave that game. Malik Willis came in and helped lead the Packers to a win in that one. I'm now the early reports that I saw were that they think he could be back by weeks in, but they're very doubtful that he's going to be available for the Detroit Lions coming up this week, big game in the NFC North. Now we see Malik Willis, you know, have some good games when we saw him early in the
season when Jordan Love was hurt. Because of what we saw early in the year, do you still have faith of starting any Packers wide receivers against this Detroit defense.
I think he will honestly just be a headache trying to figure out which wide receiver we could put into the starting lineups. I'm not sure if elite Willis can really support like a Christian Watson and Jayden Ree and Ana Romeo Dobbs all at once, because I think what we saw a little bit when Jordan Love was out is that they move more into a run heavy offense.
So I think outside of that fifty one yard you know catch from Jayden Reed last game, there really wasn't much you know, bursting, like really excitement out of Malik Willis that I think that this pass offense is going to be on the same standard as Jordan Love. So I think when you look at the three wide receivers, the three headed guys here, Dobbs. When you look at Watson, you look at Reid. Jayden Reid seems to be the
most safest option. So a lot of Jayden Reed managers out there shouldn't merely be panicking with Jordan Love missing time because Jayden Reid, they're going to get the ball in his hands at all calls. He's going to get rushing attempts, he's going to get screen looks, he's going to get you know, played deep downfield like, he's going to be utilized all over this offense. So you feel really good at the most point that you know, Jayden Reid does have some upside with Malik Willis.
In the three games where Willis has played a significant number of snaps, he has exactly one touchdown pass and no interceptions in all three of those games he did play. In Week one, he had two snaps at the very end of the game. That seems like a sort of unfair comparison for him in that circumstance. News out of Jacksonville, so the Packers played the Jaguars. Some significant news out
of Jacksonville. Florio Christian Kirk has a collarbone injury. He is out for the remainder of the season, and then reports surfacing on Monday morning that Brian Thomas Junior is dealing with a chest injury and he could miss anywhere from two to four weeks. I guess the easy answer is that it's Evan Ingram season. Is there anybody else potentially we should keep an eye on down there in Jacksonville?
Evan Ingram is the big winner, like you said, because last season he went from averaging seven and a half to ten and a half targets per game and averaging eleven and a half to over nineteen fantasy points per game without Christian Kirk. And I was all ready to say sit him because of a tough matchup this week. Then these injury news came out, and now I'm saying to start him. I think he is the only must
start pass catcher here. But if you're in a deeper league or you're in a pinch with all of these wide receivers being hurt, Gabe Davis is boom or bust.
We know that.
But with more volume and more just plays kind of running through him a little bit, the chances of him hitting do increase. So I'm not telling you to like run out there, grab Gabe Davis and start him or something like that. But if you're in a pinch, and I have been in a lot of leagues, I think then that that is an option you could go. But the real winner is probably the running backs as well, because they're going to run the ball more and I'm
sure they'll dump the ball off more. We even seen Tank Bigs beginning involved as a pass catcher this week.
So this obviously means that the Brenton Strange is going to have the big game because that's that's just how the season has gone.
So far this year, which you know, we'll see how that is.
But definitely a big hit for the Jaguars offense and for Trevor Lawrence for anybody who's trying to start him as well. So I joked about Brenton Strange, but it seems like a good way to get into I don't know if you heard, guys, yesterday was National tight Ends Day and the tight ends had a day. I'll put together a list of all the guys who scored touchdowns and we see Kate Ott and Kyle Pitts with a couple, but look, no shock. Travis Kelcey gets in the end
of George George Kittle's special days. Of course, he was going to have a nice day. Six catches for one to twenty eight and a touch down. But go down the list. I mean Adam Trautman got in the end zone. We can all rejoice because Sam Laporta scored a touchdown. Final It too a huge true. I got trolled because I thought he had caught it and ended up being brock Right, and then he got tackled at the one and he finally got in, so he scores a touchdown.
Mark Andrews stays hot, Evan Ingram with a pair of touchdowns, Conklin and j Josh Oliver. Going back to Thursday night, I mentioned brock Right there, who fooled me into thinking it was Sam Laporta. Nate Adkins. His only catch was a touchdown. It was a huge day. Fifteen tight ends scored a touchdown on National tight End Day. It was fantastic. If you had a guy, hopefully you had him in your lineup, because it ended up working out pretty well
for you on National tight End Day. All right, let's take a look at some of the week's top scores. Of course, the Monday night game is still to be played, but Jalen Hurts thirty five point one four points, a passing touchdown, three rushing touchdowns doing the job there. James Cook with twenty eight point three points. Sorry tythem, Klanie, We told you maybe to not start him because you had three other good running backs there, So that's that
sort of are bad. One hundred and eleven rushing yards to rushing touchdowns, twenty eight points there.
Ceedee Lamb.
Big game against the forty nine ers and right now looks like the only real weapon in the Cowboys offense. One hundred and forty six yards on thirteen catches, two touchdowns, nearly a forty burger for him. Kate Ott is part of National tight End Day nine for eighty one and
two touchdowns. Enders Carlson three made field goals because Kyle Shanahan loves himself, a field goal attempt and three pats fourteen points for the forty nine ers, and the Detroit Lions defense a sack, four takeaways and a touchdown gave up just fourteen points against the Titans.
That was sixteen points there.
But for a look around at the rest of the league and maybe go off menu a little bit.
Lakwan, who is your Fantasy hero.
For the week, Calvin Ridley. Man showed up and showed down one hundred and forty three receiving yards. I mean season high obviously, but this is the most productive, you know, offense that we've seen out of the Titans all season long, I mean season high in total yards, yards per play, rushing yards, etc. So it's good to see that he was able to show up and show I know a lot of people might have dropped him, you know, because I might have said that on Twitter, but whatever, we
forget things. But yeah, but he showed up man. I feel it really feels though. In my homelane. I took a shot of him in my flex position because de Hop is out of the way. So now it looks like this game plan every single week could be getting Calvin Ridley involved very early on. And honestly, he might be a guy that you could play based on matchups because the quarterback is still Mason Rudolph. But I like the Patriots. Next week you could throw on them as well.
I don't like the Chargers. But weeks eleven, twelve, and thirteen, this is like towards playoff time, and I think this is where you could really find the group where Calvin Ridley can be a weapon into your starting lineups. I mean these teams that he's going to be seeing later on, they're all averaging twenty fantasy points per game allowed to the position. So I like the matchups for the future for Calvin.
Ridley said he needed first quarter targets, and you see what he did with him. Florida, Are you are you are supporting the guy that you have here on your chest today.
Jaydeen Daniels because the dude is just simply amazing. Look I put on Twitter yesterday he is a lot like Puka Nakua. This week, there was clear risk and I won't lie. There was a play in the first quarter where he got hit. He was on the floor and I was like, oh man, his day could potentially be over. But I also put out that there was clear upside with Jayden Daniels, and that is what we got. Three hundred and twenty six yards a touchdown, fifty two rushing yards,
twenty two point two four fantasy points. And the thing is what he gives you with his legs is why he is so good for fantasy purposes. Over twenty yards in every single game this season. But it has become routine where he is running for forty plus yards. That is a free one hundred plus passing touchdowns, passing yards
in a fantasy game. And for those of you who are like, oh, he did nothing until this one play, No, he had sixteen Fantasy points scored before this Hail Mary play in a game against a tough defense where we did not know if or when he would play. He didn't practice for most of the week and he still went out and before this play had a safe floor type performance. So I think he is a mustart. I think we need to stop doubting him. He is the
runaway rookie of the year right now. He is an MVP candidate for fantasy and real life.
In my opinion, Yeah, he really is very much in the mix for all of those things. And in the matchup of one versus two, two came out on top both in playing and on the scoreboard as well. For me, as Cedric Tillman and we all thought he had some sleeper vibes to him this week. Noah, Maari Cooper in the offense anymore, a change at quarterback with Jameis Winston taking over, and Cedric Tillman had himself an absolute day and now you'll get it back to back solid games.
Ford Tilman. You see the seven catches for ninety nine and two touchdowns. I look, it's not going to be this easy or this productive for the remainder of the season, but it is apparent.
Cedric Tillman looks like he.
Has surpassed Jerry Judy as the number one target, at least among why receivers. I think David and Joku still is going to be a big part of this. But Tilman doing some big things and he's still out there on some waiver wires. I doubt that's going to be the case after this week. So if he's available, you got to put in that waiver claim for him. I know we'll get to waiver wire a little bit later in the show. He's going to be a very popular ad coming up this week.
What changed because the Browns passing attack suddenly very very reliable.
It's good for sure. Who knows? Get to our week eight takeaways. What did you learn from this past week?
Lukwon oh Man, Anthony Richardson's on Benro he should be Onventro until further notice. And what Bentro is is basically you're on the bench, you're on punishment, and you don't get off until you show some life. You're going to be a zombie collecting dust on my bench and you will be closer to the door out. And Anthony Richardson just needs to find a way to get him rhythm and games.
Man.
I mean, look, only one game so far this season where he's completed more than ten passes. I mean only one rushing touchdown, which came in Week one, and is completing less than forty five five percent of his passes. There's not real good here. There's no real good knee here that you want to digest. There is no real good spark coming from him on this offense. So it's like, man, I just feel as though, like I'm not waving the white flag on him as a fan of him, but for fantasy I am completely done.
Ah.
Yeah, it's been rough for sure. What did you learn from this past week?
For you?
I have to go all the way back to Thursday for mine. And in the past I've had to tell Lakwalm like you might want to ear muffs. I think you want like the opposite of that, turn your volume up or whatever. I think the rams offense is going to win people fantasy leagues. Let's go back all the way to last season. Remember the first half of the year, Matthew Stafford was putting up yards but no touchdowns. Cooper
Cup was hurt, Kien Williams was hurt. Puka Nakua was usable for fantasy purposes, but he was the only one. We have the exact same scenario, just a little different this year. Kien Williams has been the only one you could start every single week. Stafford has struggled. He's put up some yards in some games. The touchdowns haven't been there at all. But now, once this team got healthy in the second half last year, they went on a run,
They got hot, they made the playoffs. They played the Ravens better than any d any offense did last season in the rain in Baltimore. We have that offense back now. When Stafford, Kyrin Puka, and Cooper Cup are healthy, this Rams offense is elite. It is one of the best in the NFL. And all four of them are healthy. Now, Now, if any of them get hurt, change everything I'm saying here, But as long as these four stay healthy, this team
is going to win people. Fantasy Championships and hopefully you bought low on these guys or something like that, because I think Stafford is someone you could start moving forward and the other three year all must starts.
I mean, look, this is kind of where we thought we'd be at the beginning of the season. Injuries sort of derailed that temporarily, but now the band is back together and the Rams getting a win means I don't think they trade any of those guys because they're still very much in the race in the NFC West. For me, now you heard Lakwan talk about Anthony Richardson being on bench row.
I'm gonna tell you about net right now.
Is the fantasy quarterback we thought Anthony Richardson was going to be. You know, he's not a spectacular passer, but he's good enough. And when you combine that with him running the football. Because Richardson not running I think the way we hoped he would, that is what makes him a guy who is putting him over the top in terms of his fantasy production right now.
For rushing touchdowns for Bonnicks so far this season. Over the last four.
Weeks, he is the QB three, the third highest scoring quarterback over the last month and in large part because he is running the football.
Yeah, I don't care that he's had good matchups. That's what we want.
If he was failing in these good matchups and we'd be upset with him. But he is getting it done against some bad defenses. Took advantage of the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and right now, he is that guy. And look, I admit I sort of mocked bo Nicks at the start of the season. I am apologizing I was wrong. He's playing some really good football and he is a real true fantasy asset right now.
All right, we are still got pointed.
We are still got we still got pointed to go here on this show against the waiver Wire. Coming up in just the stick Around for more are the NFL Fantasy Football Show. Let's take a look at this week's waiver wire options.
Florio go just spoke about Matthew Stafford. You need to add him justin Herbert not only passing better, running more as well. So take note of that Jamis Winston because he is the best quarterback on the Browns and put up some fantasy numbers. Alexander Madison had a real rough week, but it was about the matchup, still getting all the
volume there, so he is in play, Ray Davis. These are all handcuffs that because it was not a big week of running backs, so Ray Davis, Braylan Allen, Julia McLaughlin, Blake Krum, Tyler als Year, Rosehawn Johnson all guys that are an injury away for becoming players that you just get into your lineup each and every week. And then pass catchers Cedric Tillman obviously needs to be picked up right now. Ricky Piersoll looked really good on Sunday Night football.
Jalen McMillan had the most targets of Bucks receivers. Xavier l Ye not only played well, but there's a lot of reports that Deontay Johnson could get traded. Rashan Bateman probably wants to red you on yesterday, but the volume still keeps him in play.
And then Browns.
More Browns receivers Jerry Judy and Elijah Moore the first third and fifth most yards by a Browns pass catcher came in yesterday's game for the season. And then Hunter, Henry kate Aten and Dalton Schultz. Some tight ends because everyone needs a tight end unless it's National tight End Day and then every tight end goes off.
Yeah, pretty much. You know, Kate Otten fantastic. I mean, look, Lakwan, we look at this. You know, Mike Evans out for a while, you know, Chris Godwin gone for the season. I mean, I know we sort of want Jayleen mcgillan to be a thing, but it does feel like Kate Otten is the guy until further notice in Tampa Bay.
Yeah, he's the most comfortable in the system, and he's good at football, Like this isn't just some random tight end scoring touchdowns or making plays like this is a guy that's been working his butt off these last two seasons trying to find his way and fit into this Tampa Bay's offense. And he's been such a huge fantasy gym for a lot of fantasy managers like myself, coming off the waiver wire and putting up elite tight end one numbers. He's getting the volume and he's producing every week.
So I definitely think for the rest of the season, Kate Odden shouldn't be questioned or not. If he's going to be in your starting lineup or not, you should not be benching him for the rest of the season because Baker Mayfield is going to need that security blanket because there's times where he gets wild and gets crazy and those are when the interceptions happen.
Yeah. Absolutely, But the kodd has been fantastic. All right.
So now we got the second half of the fantasy regular season on tap as we had toward week nine, we got some hot takes for what we think is gonna happen for the remainder of the season.
Mcwan will stay with you. What is your hot take for the next few weeks.
We're gonna stay in Denver, Man, bo Nicks is going to finish as a top five fantasy quarterback and I'm saying that just based on the rushing upside and his ability that he has shown to go out there and put out points. He's currently the QB eight, so it's not that crazy. But the hot take, Man, this schedule is going to get harder. These matchups are going to get more difficult. But bo Nicks has been a rushing storm that you have to worry about getting out of that pocket to extend the place.
Uh Yeah, bon Nick's fantastic. I'm starting to buy in. Adam Rank was on him early.
I sort of laughed, Bye in get your ticket, man, I'm in.
I'm a bowliever now for sure, Floyda, you got some running back you got right now.
Look, James Connor was my biggest running back target coming into the year, and I'm not changing course or anything. I think James Connor is going to be the running back that we look back after the season and we're like, he won people the most championships, he was the league winner because he is so guaranteed for save volume each and every week routinely is putting up eighteen plus carriers and getting used as a pass catcher. But now look at this schedule. He gets the Bears this week. That
is tough. Maybe this is the week you try to go out and acquire James Connor. Then he gets the Jets, who we know can be ran on, then the Seahawks. The Vikings are okay, the Seahawk again, this Seattle has been ran all over this year. And then in the fantasy playoffs, the Patriots, who we know can be ran on, the Panthers, who are the best matchup for a running back, and then the Rams, who again we know can be
ran on. So the schedule opens up so much it has been tough up until this point, and Connor has still been productive. But now it opens up, and as long as he stays healthy, fingers crossed that he does, I think he is going to run wild.
In the second half. I would absolutely love it.
James Connor is one of those guys that's sort of I won't say it gets overlooked, but I think he sort of gets underdrafted a little bit because we want other guys who maybe seem more explosive or sexier names, and James Connor doesn't really fit into that a whole lot. So I think sometimes he kind of slips through the cracks but continues to be productive, you know. And now he's actually staying healthy, he's staying on the field. That's
a big, big game of success. Mention it stop. I mean it's already out there, al already in the atmosphere. Now already put that evil on you, Ricky Bobby. It's too late, I mean, there is. Let's come back to the quarterbacks here, because my hot take is that Russell Wilson is going to be a top twelve quarterback for the remainder of the season.
It's not going to be pretty.
There's gonna be some rough weeks there with Russ, but the schedule really looks nice for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Down the stretch.
They have some really positive matchups and he is elevating all the other pass catchers around him. We already kind of knew what George Pickens was, and Pickens was finding a way to be productive even with justin fields on the on the field right there. But now I think Russe is gonna throw a little bit of a nicer
deep ball. He's not gonna look to run as much, which means he's going to get the ball out, he's gonna deliver it, and you're just gonna see an elevation in the Steelers passing game for the rest of the season. And so it's not going to be exciting, you know, like you're not. This is not the Russ Russell Wilson that we saw all those years in Seattle. But I think he's gonna be a quality, sort of steady guy.
If you're looking to stream quarterbacks, I think Russell Wilson is going to be a nice matchup bass play for you for good stretches of the year. You're gotta be surprised and in the back half of the season, you're gonna look around and say, Man, Russell Wilson's kind of a fringe QB one. Not something that I was expecting this year. That's the thing that we love. Now, let's talk about one of our favorite moments from the past week.
We are loving the fact that a change in quarterbacks in Cleveland has elevated a lot of the Browns past catchers. But also we just love listening to the guy who has taken over as the quarterback for the Browns.
There's a white boy from Detroit that I am. And he said, you only get one shot. Do not miss a chance to blow this opportunity last once in a lifetime. And I know I got a quote, you know, eminem he from Detroit, he right up the road. But man, I'm just grateful. I'm grateful that the Lord provided me with this opportunity. I'm grateful for my teammates, my coaches, and he's amazing fans.
Oh, Jamis dropping some Marshall Mathers there the postgame press. Look while we were jugging for the show, we had like three different Jamis quotes to pick from in this way.
Yes, oh my god, how he just starts white boy up the street from Detroit.
Like man, Jamis as an eminent. This was world's colliding for me. Look, James, you watched the lyrics a little bit, but I still loved it.
Oh Man, absolutely, Next, you got to get him some some mac miller. Maybe when they play the Steelers or something. If they played the Steelers again, right, you can drop.
Some quarter miller. I'd buy his jersey immediately.
During Jais the gauntlet has been thrown down, but the absolutely a moment that we loved from this past week. In the meantime, that is it.
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